Cormac Mc Carthy - Moreau Integration 2 Cormac Mc Carthy Moreau Integration 2 Michael Comuniello 12/3/2021 My New Life, Home, and Adventure. Notre Dame My first semester here at Notre Dame has been very impactful. I have met many new people, made some awesome new friends, moved over 2000 miles away from home and learned how to rely less on my family, grown as a person, and learned a lot about myself. I’m really thankful for the opportunity to see my world opening up to so much more. My biggest ambition coming here to Notre Dame was to see myself develop through new experiences compared to a boring life back at home. One of everyone’s initial worries before arriving at college is the sense of belonging. I really wanted to find a good group of friends who were like-minded people with me. At home, I never really felt like I fit in with the environment and I was always uncomfortable. Thankfully, I learned to step out of my comfort zone and talk to people and I think I ended up finding my group. I also believe the overall culture of this school fits me well. However, I gained lots of perspective about others who have a tough time feeling like they belong here. One night, a girl from my Accounting class sent me a random text asking if I could go for a walk. This surprised me. Previously, I had conversations with her only about Accounting. When I met up with her, she was distraught. She explained that she was finding it difficult to make friends at Notre Dame. Similar to me, she had also experienced social difficulty in high school, and didn’t want to go through being friendless again in college. She asked me for help because she felt that I came across as a “social person.” This was weird for me to hear. I had never regarded myself as extroverted or having a social personality. In high school, I had two main friends. But, even then, at times, I couldn’t relate to them and I never branched out to other friend groups. The quote “I had been a pretty social person in high school and I fully expected to make great friends right away when I got to college. It’s supposed to be the time of your life, right?” (Advice from a Formerly Lonely College Student by Emery Bergmann - Moreau FYE Week Nine) reminds me of her experience. She is really social and fun to talk to. I couldn’t imagine her having a hard time connecting with people and making friends. I explained to her the changes I made between high school and college, even though I’m still working on my friendship-making approach. First, don’t overthink what you believe other people think about you. When you overthink, your confidence dissipates and you’re less likely to be interactive. Second, do not be afraid to ask others questions. The more questions you ask someone, the more you learn about them, and the more likely you are to find something you can relate to with that person. Relatability equals relationships. Finally, I encouraged her to join a non-academic club that follows an interest or hobby of hers. She’ll get to enjoy an activity around others who also enjoy that. That relatability would allow her to build some friendships. These actions are just a few things that each of us should consider each day to build a path towards belonging. One thing I love about Notre Dame is the sense of community; it’s unlike any other institution. Parker Palmer’s quote “This simple fact has critical implications: community is not a goal to be achieved but a gift to be received. When we treat community as a product that we must manufacture instead of a gift we have been given, it will elude us eternally.” (Thirteen Ways of Looking at Community by Parker Palmer - Moreau FYE Week Eleven) gave me a stronger appreciation for my community. I love my dorm, Fisher Hall, which has an amazing communal bond. Our motto, “All are welcome in this place”, really represents us well and brings us closer. One of my best friends in my dorm is bisexual. He told me that he wasn’t really accepted back in his hometown, which was a really Republican area. His life was surrounded with trying to be converted to being heterosexual and it put a really bad burden on him and made his mental health struggle. He explained to me how he’s so thankful for how welcoming Fisher Hall is. He feels like he fits in with the community. We all appreciate the gift of our community. As we grow older, I think it’s important for me to represent the community to students coming in after us to keep our dorm’s great value alive. One thing I have encountered slightly at Notre Dame is racism. Notre Dame is a primarily white school and I’ve heard that minorities don’t feel well respresnted. Two Asian-American students in my dorm have been subject to racism. I’ve seen several individuals confuse the two because “they look the same” or people like to joke about their stereotypes. The quote “This engagement rejects an approach in which Catholics would appeal solely and simplistically to scriptural injunctions, such as ‘love thy neighbor as thyself,’ as an adequate response to racism” (Should Catholic School Teach Critical Race Theory by Christopher Devron - Moreau FYE Week Ten) stood out to me. We should love all neighbors here at Notre Dame and not make anyone feel left out. I’m glad that Moreau classes bring up the topic of racism because everyone should be educated about it. I think a lot of racism happens simply because people just don’t understand that some things said can be offensive. For me, I want to be a voice for antiracism, call it out when I see it, learn more about it, and hopefully educate others about it when I can. Notre Dame has allowed me to experience my faith again. I grew up Catholic, but the last two years, before college, I was really distant with God. C.S. Lewis said “Humans are amphibians--half spirit and half animal. As spirits they belong to the eternal world, but as animals they inhabit time.” (The Screwtape Letters Chapter 8 by C.S. Lewis - Moreau FYE Week Twelve). I think he’s right. By giving more time to my faith since I’ve been here, I’ve found myself more peaceful. Quite often, I go to my dorm’s chapel and just sit and stare. By letting my spirit be in the presence of God, I find myself having an overall better wellbeing. I’m glad that I encountered the Lord’s love again and I will continue staying with him.